SHAKE SHACK TURNS BURGER LAUNCH INTO AI-POWERED SHOUTING CHALLENGE

Shake Shack Middle East launched The Big Shack with the AI-powered Big Shout Challenge, inviting GCC consumers to shout the burger’s name via WhatsApp for prizes. The activation generated over 66,000 interactions, global participation, and influencer reach of 1.34 million, ultimately making The Big Shack a permanent menu item.

Shake Shack Middle East has unveiled one of its boldest activations yet with the launch of The Big Shack, transforming a simple burger promotion into a participative digital experience. Partnering with Amber Communications and WhilterAI, the brand introduced the Big Shack Big Shout Challenge, an AI-powered WhatsApp activation that invited consumers across the GCC to shout “The Biiiiiig Shhaaaack…” in a single breath for the chance to win a meal.  

The campaign tapped into everyday digital behaviour by turning voice notes into interactive brand experiences. Participants accessed the challenge through QR codes shared across Shake Shack’s social media channels, digital platforms and in-store touchpoints. The longer the shout, the greater the chance of winning, with the AI platform responding in real time, encouraging repeat attempts and sustaining engagement.  

The results were striking. More than 6,600 participants across the GCC generated over 66,000 WhatsApp messages, with an average shout lasting 31.4 seconds. While designed for GCC audiences, the activation also attracted global participation from markets including the US, UK, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China and Egypt.  

The launch was amplified by a barter-led influencer programme that reached a combined audience of 1.34 million followers, alongside social media and in-store communications. This multi-channel approach ensured awareness and footfall during the launch period, while the AI-powered challenge contributed to sustained demand for The Big Shack, which later became a permanent menu item.  

Sayari Ghosh, Divisional Director for Brand Strategy and Marketing, Shake Shack Middle East, explained: “The Big Shack was designed to be our boldest burger yet, so we wanted a launch that felt just as bold. The Big Shout Challenge gave people a fun, memorable way to interact with Shake Shack’s innovation before they even took their first bite.”  

Amber Communications and WhilterAI were instrumental in shaping the activation. Pankaj K Arora, CRO and Co-founder of WhilterAI, noted: “Shake Shack and Amber Communications had a bold idea: make the shout feel heard. Our AI stack handled the real conversational layer on Meta/WhatsApp — understanding voice notes, responding in real time, and keeping thousands of fans engaged across languages and time zones.”  

Leslie Paul, ECD at Amber Communications, added: “Our ambition was to move beyond announcing a new burger and instead create an experience around it. By turning a simple human truth into an AI-powered challenge on a platform people already use every day, we created a launch that felt effortless, participative and genuinely fun.”